Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen wins World Cup slalom for 2nd victory in 2 days

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Henrik Kristoffersen came from behind to win a men's World Cup slalom on Sunday for his second victory in two days.

The 2023 world champion from Norway stood sixth with 0.62 seconds to make up after the opening run, but his ninth-fastest time in the final run on a weakening course in the afternoon sunshine was enough for the victory.

Kristoffersen, who also won Saturday’s giant slalom, led Timon Haugan by 0.17 for a Norwegian 1-2 finish.

“It was a good second run. I think I still messed up the top and the second part a little bit,” Kristoffersen said. “Very tight today, so I'm lucky to be on the right side of the hundredths.”

It was the first time Kristoffersen won a GS and a slalom race in the same weekend.

“This was a big goal for me, so very happy with today,” he said.

Manuel Feller, the defending World Cup slalom champion, had the same time as Kristoffersen in the opening run and finished 0.23 behind in third.

World champion Loic Meillard posted the fastest opening-run time but dropped to fourth, one-hundredth behind Feller.

Meillard racked up four podium results in slalom this season. His sole career World Cup victory in the discipline came a year ago in Aspen, Colorado.

Victor Muffat-Jeandet, who wore bib 38 and qualified in 26th, had a blistering run as an early starter in the second leg and the Frenchman finished in sixth, four spots ahead of his teammate Clement Noel, who is the Olympic champion.

Noel won four races this season but trails leader Kristoffersen by 77 points in the discipline standings.

Kristoffersen is second in the overall standings, but still faces a big gap of 360 points to three-time defending champion Marco Odermatt. The Swiss star does not compete in slaloms.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen straddled a gate and didn’t finish his first run, a day after he placed second in the GS to came close to giving Brazil its first World Cup victory in skiing.

The men's World Cup travels to Norway for two downhills and a super-G in Kvitfjell next week.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen, center, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, celebrates with second-placed Norway's Timon Haugan, left, and third-placed Austria's Manuel Feller, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen, right, winner of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, celebrates with second-placed Norway's Timon Haugan, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen celebrates winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Switzerland's Tanguy Nef competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

Norway's Timon Haugan competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

Switzerland's Loic Meillard competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Sunday, March 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.

Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.

James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.

Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.

Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.

Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.

Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.

Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)